Best Fish Guide: Eels

Alternative choice: No alternative

Description: Eels are important freshwater predators. There are two main species of New Zealand eel – the endemic long-finned and native short-finned eels. They are caught in baited fyke nets or traditional hinaki. Both species are long-lived, spending part of their life-cycle at sea and part in freshwater environments. The long-finned eel is listed as a threatened species by the Department of Conservation (Hitchmough (comp) 2002, Allibone et al 2010). A third species - the Australian long-finned eel - is primarily found in Northland.

Ecological concerns: The severely overfished status of the endemic long-finned eel, declining catch rates and the unknown sustainability of recent catch levels, managing two species (short-finned and Australian long-finned) as one species in the South Island, the lack of current or reference biomass estimates and the lack of a management plan. Bycatch of seabirds is also of concern.

Economic value: New Zealand and exports of about $6 million in 2008 to markets including Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Italy.